


Was that a laugh I heard, Agent May?

by swimmiNgDiNosauR



Series: Melinda May fluff and random stuff [6]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Fluff, ticklish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 13:49:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14403438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swimmiNgDiNosauR/pseuds/swimmiNgDiNosauR
Summary: Truth or Dare is a bad idea. Somehow she still ends up playing. Phil is a jerk and tickles her until she can't breathe.





	Was that a laugh I heard, Agent May?

The team was sitting in a circle in the common room. Skye was sitting on the couch next to Jemma who was curled up against Fitz. Bobbi and Hunter were muttering among themselves on the beanbags. Mack was sitting awkwardly beside Melinda who was cross-legged on the other couch, glaring at Coulson who was lounging beside her.

Skye’s recording them. She glares at Skye who gives her a cheeky smile in return.

“It’s a bad idea,” she repeats.

“No, it’s not,” Coulson protests. “It’s a great idea. Team bonding and all that.”

“We’ve already done team bonding. We played Monopoly,” Melinda argues. She is _not_ going along with his stupid idea.

“C’mon, Truth or Dare is a great game,” he wheedles.

She remains unmoved.

“I’m not playing,” she says.

“Yes, you are,” Coulson says. “I’m the Director of SHIELD.”

“And I’m in charge of you, remember?”

“That was when I was carving!” His protest draws the attention of Bobbi and Hunter who pause their argument.

“And I still am,” Melinda says. “And I say we’re not playing Truth or Dare.”

“Well, I say we are,” he says childishly.

She calls him on it. He sticks his tongue out. He’s mocking her. Well, screw him.

“And besides which, you used to love Truth or Dare,” he adds.

“Whatever,” she mutters, shuffling away from him.

“Ohh, look he’s being childish now,” he says loudly, insulted.

 

She’s not sure how he manages it but somehow she ends up agreeing to play. It’s his turn and he’s looking at her with a dangerous smirk.

“Truth or Dare, Melinda?” he asks and she knows he’s got a plan and it won’t matter if she says either one.

“Dare,” she answers because picking truth is for wimps. Unless the person asking is known for embarrassing dares. Then it’s strategic.

“I dare you,” he says, pausing for effect, “To admit … dun, dun, dun! That you’re ticklish,” he finishes triumphantly.

She glares at him. She _knew_ it. She knew he was up to no-good. “I’m not ticklish.”

The others – Skye in particular – are leaning forward in interest. Any argument between Mom and Dad is worth listening to.

Coulson snorts. “This is Truth or Dare, Melinda,” he says like she’s a small child. “You’re not allowed to lie.”

“I’m not lying,” she lies. He doesn’t need to know that. Except he already does because she knows he’s remembering all the fights they had as cadets back at the Academy that ended with her laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe.

“Yes, you are,” he tells her and she stands up abruptly because she’s fairly sure he’s going to pounce.

“I’m not,” she objects, backing away.

She doesn’t even see him coming. One moment she’s standing up glaring at him, the next she’s being dragged towards him. She ends up in his lap.

“Aw,” Skye coos, taking a picture quickly before they can move. Coulson even smiles nicely.

Melinda launches herself away from him, scrambling over Mack who flings his hands in the air and tries to become one with the couch. She tumbles over the arm of the couch and Coulson follows after her. Mack almost dies. As soon as both of his superiors are completely off him, he bolts, running to a safer place beside Skye and Jemma and Fitz.

They can’t really see Coulson or Melinda, only their legs. Coulson throws Melinda onto the couch and traps her there, straddling her waist. Her T-shirt has ridden up and he eyes the bare skin of her stomach.

“Don’t you dare,” she hisses.

“Well, you say you’re not ticklish so it won’t be a problem,” he shrugs.

“I’m not ticklish.”

He snorts. “Admit you are and I’ll let you go,” he tries to reason.

Melinda shakes her head firmly, trying furiously to escape. He attacks the bare patch of skin and she shuts down, trying to control her body. It only takes a few minutes before her arm twitches.

He grins devilishly. She clamps her lips together, muscles tense. He scribbles patterns on her ribs and manages to draw out a squeak.

“What was that?” he asks, smirking.

“What was what–?!”

He jabs her sides and she jerks, muscles relaxing, if only for a second but it’s all he needs. He pulls giggles from her lips and eventually, she’s only batting at him weakly.

“Was that a laugh I heard, Agent May?” he teases.

She can barely move, he’s that good. Or maybe she’s just that ticklish. She laughs so hard she cries. She swipes at Phil’s face but she misses and manages to hit herself. In the background, she can hear her team cackling at her like demons from hell.

“Admit it,” Phil grins.

She shakes her head wildly. She won’t. Never. He tickles her ribs and runs his fingers up and down her sides but he never once touches her armpits. She’s grateful for that.

“Admit it,” he repeats. “C’mon, everyone knows it.”

“I’m … not ticklish!” she protests, twisting away.

Phil just rolls his eyes and pulls her back. “Yeah, you are. Two words, Melinda. Two little words.”

“No!” she gets out on a laugh. She tries to wriggle away from him but he catches her easily.

“Do you know the definition of ticklish?” Skye asks.

Phil pauses and watches her.

Melinda nods, eyes narrowing.

“Then you know you’re ticklish,” Skye says like she’s talking to a baby.

“I’m not tick _lish_!” she ends on a shout when Phil jabs her sides.

Phil just smirks. “Fifty bucks you are.”

Melinda shakes her head, lips pressed tightly together.

He knows exactly where to touch her to make her lose control. He goes straight for her armpits and she _shrieks_. She writhes under him, trying to clamp her arms to her sides. He simply holds her wrists in one hand and continues. Her laughter becomes silent and her whole body shakes.

“Ph- _Phil_ ,” she manages to get out. “St _op_!”

“Say it,” he grins. “And then I’ll stop.”

He pokes her ribs. She struggles underneath him. A breathless laugh escapes her lips. She knows she won’t be going anywhere if she doesn't say it but her stubbornness stops her.

She giggles hysterically, unable to stop herself. Tears leak from her eyes but she can’t wipe them away because then Phil will have access to her armpits and she’s trying to stop him. He just rolls his eyes and lifts her arms away from her sides easily.

“Hey, Skye,” he begins, in the way that a child will say to their mother when they want something.

“What do you want?” she asks suspiciously.

“Feel like tickling her feet?” he smiles, gripping Melinda’s wrists tighter.

“No!” Melinda does her best to get free but Phil tickles her armpits and she’s left a giggling mess.

Skye beams and jumps over the coffee table. She settles down on the end of the couch, lifting Melinda’s feet up. She runs her finger lightly from the tips of her toes to her heel. Melinda’s leg spasms and she tries to kick Skye with her other leg that isn’t being attacked. Skye holds Melinda’s right leg down with her own legs and captures her left foot. She traces patterns lightly on the sole of her foot, grinning when Melinda kicks uncontrollably.

“Give up yet?” Phil asks casually, drawing another laugh.

“Nohoho,” she laughs.

They tickle her for another five minutes. She gasps for breath and squirms uselessly.

“Okay! I’m tick–!”

Phil pokes his fingers into her sides and she yelps. Skye tickles her feet until her legs are spasming out of her control.

“I’m … tick … ticklish!” she finally gets out.

Phil stops and sits back, grinning at her. She pants, chest heaving as she reclaims all the air he’d stopped her getting. Skye pats her feet and grins at her around Phil. She glares at them. Her face is red. She wipes the tears from her eyes.

“See? Wasn’t so hard, was it?” he jokes, tapping her nose. He stands up so she can move. He sits down beside her and wraps an arm around her shoulders.

Hunter is still cackling. Bobbi is grinning at Melinda. FitzSimmons are staring at her in shock, jaws hanging open. Mack’s just glad they aren’t clambering over him.

“Truth or Dare, Phil?” she asks with narrowed eyes.

He knows he’s dead. So dead. “Um… I think we should stop and go to bed now?”

Melinda’s eyes narrow even more. She looks absolutely deadly. “No.”

“Truth?”

Melinda leans back and smirks and pretends that she isn’t going to make him tell the team his most embarrassing mission.


End file.
